The sales tax that paid for Cincinnati's two pro sports stadiums was on the commissioners' minds from the outset. That tax failed to meet revenue projections and left the county on the hook for long-term improvements that still haunt county taxpayers. Task force members said this time would be different because the levy for Music Hall and Union Terminal would be restricted only to renovations, had lower revenue projections and contained no long-term obligations. Still, commissioners were spooked. "I call that lessons learned from the stadiums," Commissioner Chris Monzel said when pitching his alternative plan.

The county commission is split 2-1 with a Republican majority. While all three commissioners agree on many things, taxes aren't always among them. The Republicans, particularly Monzel, were a tougher sell from the start on this levy and they ultimately worked together to slim it down by dropping Music Hall. Their argument: It would cost too much and limit the county's financial flexibility for years. Democrat Todd Portune made an impassioned plea for both buildings, and the crowd at the meeting Wednesday was dominated by vocal levy supporters. But critics of the plan had the ear of commissioners, too. Monzel's alternative plan – the one he and Hartmann ultimately approved – resembled a plan favored by tea party groups and levy critics.

Government is different

Former Procter & Gamble CEO Bob McDonald led the task force and said the levy proposal was the most thoroughly vetted construction project he'd ever seen. And as head of P&G, he's seen more than a few. But as McDonald noted on several occasions, government is different than the corporate world. As CEO, he could say the word and make things happen. As leader of the task force, he had to lobby politicians in a way he never did in business. It turned out to be an obstacle he couldn't quite clear.

City and county officials often disagree. In the past few months, they've gone toe-to-toe over how to run the Metropolitan Sewer District, how to bid construction projects and a host of other issues. This levy required cooperation and, instead, the old antagonism emerged. Hartmann met with Mayor John Cranley two weeks ago and the two appeared to reach a deal, in which the city promised $10 million toward long-term maintenance of Music Hall and Union Terminal. A week later, Hartmann said that wasn't enough and demanded more. Cranley balked and said the county was "moving the goal post." It all went downhill from there.

No one likes to talk about it, but one of the divisions that emerged between levy supporters and opponents was based on class. Namely, that Music Hall is a luxury favored by the wealthy, while Union Terminal's Museum Center serves a broader and less affluent population. There's some truth to that: the Museum Center draws more than 1 million people a year to its Children's Museum and other exhibits and Music Hall attracts about one-fourth that number to the ballet, symphony and opera. As the popular Lumenocity showed last weekend, Music Hall is loved by more than just the rich. Still, some critics successfully used the differences between the facilities in their campaign to drop Music Hall from the project, repeatedly saying wealthy patrons should do more.